My name is Tony Bonham. I’m 49 years old. I’m the youngest of 3, born to alcoholic parents. Alcohol, violence, and hate-filled our house. My mom and dad divorced when I was 4. My aunt and uncle adopted my brother. My dad ran my sister off.  At 12 years old, I left my mom’s house because stepdad #2 hit me in the face with a belt buckle. I went to go live with my dad, but his wife didn’t like me and told me, “This isn’t your home”. They let me stay in their barn, where I could drink. 

I began smoking weed. My cousin introduced me to crank and acid. Within a year I was out of control and consumed with hate. I was removed from what I called home by the state, where I became a ward of the state. 

When I turned 20, I joined the Army. Within 6 months I was discharged for drunkenness and violence. Within a year I got into more trouble and spent a year in county jail. 

I decided to move to Florida, still doing reckless things, but now added crack cocaine. Life became crazy, violent, and hateful. 

In 1996, after a day of drinking and fighting in Nevada bars, I fell asleep at the wheel. My truck flipped 6 times. I broke my neck and was paralyzed from the shoulders down. I was medi-flighted from Nevada to Utah, where they put me back together. Then Idaho for rehab. Moved in with my therapist, who was married and going through a divorce. The Lord tried to deal with me here, but I wasn’t listening. Our arrangement lasted 2 years. My neighbor, during those two years, taught me how to grow weed. For the next 16 years (from 1998-2013), that’s what I did. 

My violence and hate turned into RAGE. Rage became my new “Drug of Choice”. I lived in my truck, with my dog and weapons. It was my way of life. I made deals with people to grow in their orchards, yards, or fields. It made me angry and got worse and worse. In my truck I carried an ax, a meat cleaver and a slug-loaded shot gun. Everyone wanted to rob my plants. The old saying, “potheads aren’t violent people” is a lie. Get in my garden and see. The rage was worse than any of the numerous drugs I took. 

One day a man had stopped his car before a railroad crossing. Waiting for a train to approach, I was so enraged, I began to push his car with my truck. Every bone in my body hurt. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t function anymore. I didn’t want to talk to anyone because “I Hated Everything”. I thought I was going to explode and they would find me blown up in my truck. 

I stopped growing weed, moved into a room in an old shop. The old guy gave me an old TV. I made an antenna out of wire and PVC pipe. I didn’t get much on the TV, but what did come the first two days was “The House Modesto”. The first day was “You’ve got a bad mouth and you’ve got a bad heart”. It was the same message the next day. I knew I needed change and believe The Holy Spirit was telling me to worship there. 

As I walked into the church I saw a man I was in jail with 20 years before. I visited with him for a while, then I went to talk to people in the office. It was a gentleman who, after I had told him more of my story, interrupted me saying, “God brought you here today, Tony, to remind me of who I was before I surrendered my life to God the Father, His Son Jesus, and The Holy Spirit that abides in me”. He led me in prayer and Jesus changed my life. I went home, cleaned out my house, got rid of everything, and started over. 

The Lord has blessed my life, He delivered me of my rage, drugs, alcohol, lying, and cheating. He took me to Africa, showing me miracle after miracle. He will do the same for you. Jesus came to earth to die for our sins. He gave everything he had so that, through him, we could become reconciled to God The Father. That we could be forgiven of our sins. That we could be shown the mercy of God. That God, through His Son Jesus, gives us Grace and a Promise of Eternal Life with The Father, who made us. His Son, Jesus Christ paid the price for our salvation. Hallelujah